A creature of habit, three cars called Annie One, Two and Three, and three special dogs called Lucy - Part three

The third Lucy came into my world very soon after Lucy Staffie. I had missed my faithful old companion and as a present Ray, my husband, took me to choose a puppy from a litter of Border collies. I think he felt that I needed a change from the usual short haired dogs I had always preferred. When I think back I often feel that fate led us down the road to fetch Lucy collie.
It was not a hard decision at all to choose her, she was the smallest in the litter and looked like she needed more love than the others. I immediately named her Lucy.
Lucy collie was an energetic, long legged galoopy puppy, always into everything and wanting to explore the world around her. She loved country life and would disappear by herself to explore over hill and dale without a care and would reappear whenever she felt hungry or lonely. She was brave and full of enthusiasm for all that she discovered on her expeditions around the farm. It was probably this sheer joy of adventure that nearly cost Lucy collie her life.
One Saturday evening when it was time to start locking up and checking on everything we noticed that Lucy collie had not returned to the house after her daily escapade. As it was getting dark we immediately started searching for her but in the end had to give up due to the poor light. The next morning as soon as we were up the search started again but by lunch time when there was still no sign of her we all began to think the worst, that our beautiful Lucy collie would perhaps not be coming home.
Later that afternoon as we were sitting on the back lawn we saw movement along the dirt road. It was Lucy Collie coming home, she was dragging herself along by her front legs as her entire rear end from the waist down had been shattered. Her pelvis and both legs were badly broken and it was obvious to see that the bones were broken in several places. Lucy collie had dragged herself home.
We phoned the vet and on telling him of her accident arranged to meet him at the veterinary hospital which was a fifteen minute drive away. How hard it was to pick up her broken body as gently as we were able and put her into to car. Not once did she cry but she managed to slowly wag her tail as if to say "I'm here Mom, I came home."
After a brief but thorough examination the vet looked up sadly and said to me that the best thing would be euthanasia, as poor Lucy had too many injuries. I thought for a minute and then asked him if there was any chance at all of saving her, his reply was there is always a chance but hers was very slim indeed. I made the decision to try and save my Lucy collie, if she had had the courage and strength to crawl back to me then I needed to do everything in my power to save her life.
Lucy was taken to the animal hospital at Onderstepoort near Pretoria and was operated on the next day. The vets placed seven pins down her right hip and leg and five pins on the left side. Lucy had made it through the operations and the first day of the long road ahead.
She spent three months at Onderstepoort and then another four at the veterinary hospital close to home. I would visit her as often as possible, and once she was closer to home I would go every day to feed her and take her for a tiny walk.
Day by day my Lucy collie got better and it was with such joy that finally we were allowed to take her home with dire warnings to be very careful with her and that although she had survived her accident we would be very lucky if she lived past the age of three, she was just over a year old then.
Lucy collie recovered remarkably and although she walked with a bit of a gait she could run short distances and join in games. In winters one could see that the pins got cold and so she did have some pain, however with keeping her in the house on cold nights and making sure she had bed and blankets she managed.
Birthdays came and went for Lucy collie and as she got older and her muzzle started turning grey so she enjoy sitting quietly with whoever was at home. She wanted and needed the extra company.
When the end came I felt it was as if she quietly lay down and let life slip away from her. I was sitting next to her on the floor and she opened her eyes looked at me and was gone.
Lucy collie was fourteen when she joined the other two Lucys in doggy heaven, another good friend had gone.
We never did find out how she had been injured but presumed she had gone onto the highway that bordered the farm and been hit by a car.

San Francesco d'Assisi - Italy

I may one day have another Lucy dog, she will have be be just as special as the first three to deserve their name.